Embodiments of the present application relate generally to systems and methods for separating or removing an object from a patient, and more specifically, to techniques for grasping pacing leads within a patient.
A pacemaker can be used to improve heart function in a patient. For example, a pacemaker can transmit electrical signals to the patient's heart, so as to assist the heart to beat in a desired heart rhythm. A pacing system typically includes a pacemaker, a pacing lead, and a controller or processor. A pacing lead often has a wire that transmits electrical impulses to cardiac tissue. Optionally, a pacing lead may transmit information regarding cardiac activity to the pacemaker or processor.
In certain situations, it may be desirable or necessary to remove a pacing lead from a patient. For example, a patient may develop an infection in tissue which is contacting the pacing lead or pacemaker. It may also be advantageous to remove the lead or lead fragment if the lead breaks or otherwise poses a risk of damage, discomfort, or obstruction or interference, if the lead interferes with the operation of another implanted device, or if the patient's vasculature or tissue which is located at or near the lead becomes obliterated or occluded.
In some cases, a lead may develop or present a free end, which can occur when a lead breaks, is pulled out of a header, or is otherwise abandoned during a surgical intervention. If a lead has a free end, it is typically located in the brachiocephalic vein. To remove a lead having a free end, it may be desirable for the physician or operator to navigate the free end of the lead toward an incision site.
Several lead grasping and removal techniques have been proposed. However, some approaches may not be well suited for easily accessing, grasping, or manipulating the free end of a lead. For example, some pig tail catheters may have a limited holding capability, and the lead may slip out of the catheter before it is freed from the patient's anatomy. In certain instances, pig tail catheters can tend to straighten out when pulled by the operator, thus disengaging the lead from the pig tail. Some snares grasp the lead with inappropriate levels of force. Hence, there continues to be a need for improved systems and methods that can simply and effectively grasp and remove a pacing lead or other object from a patient in a reliable manner.
Although some currently proposed treatments may provide real benefits to patients in need thereof, still further advances would be desirable. Embodiments of the present invention provide or intravascular hook or snaring solutions that address the problems which may be associated with the techniques described above, and hence provide answers to at least some of these outstanding needs.